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Hot topics in the news Mortgage lending has almost doubled in the United Arab Emirates in the wake of the on-going property boom, figures show.
Read full article: [Mortgage lending doubles in UAE with boom set to continue]Lower interest rates in Australia are unlikely to do much to restore confidence in the housing market, experts warn.
Read full article: [Property market confidence still low in Australia despite interest rate cut]The downturn in global property markets is now hitting South Africa where real estate agents report a significant slump.
Read full article: [Global downturn affecting all sectors of the property industry in South Africa]The registration of all off-plan property sales in Dubai is the latest new regulation for the Emirate's real estate industry.
Read full article: [Off-plan regulation welcomed in Dubai]Lenders and mortgage brokers will be asking those buying new properties if they have received any incentives to purchase under new rules being introduced to the UK market next month.
Read full article: [New rules for those buying new and conversion properties]Poland is one of the best European property markets despite the credit crunch and likely to experience rising demand, according to two new report.
Read full article: [Poland appears to be a property investment bright spot in gloomy Europe]Large property developers in China are investing billions snapping up distressed real estate from smaller companies that are struggling.
Read full article: [Giant Chinese property developer snaps up bargains from struggling smaller builders]Property in Ireland is selling at prices considerably below what is advertised, plunging the market into a crisis.
Read full article: [Irish property market in crisis according to sellers' organisation]A new breed of bargain hunters looking for distressed property sellers is emerging in New Zealand as the economic downturn continues to bite.
Read full article: [Property bargain hunters start to seek out distressed sales in New Zealand]UK property buyers should enter the market prudently and not rely on the government approving help schemes like a stamp duty holiday or deferred payments, according to a leading economist.
Read full article: [Economist dismisses help schemes for UK mortgages]Developers and banks in Spain are teaming up to offer discounted new build properties in a bid to kick start the country's ailing property market.
Read full article: [Developers, banks and politicians working to boost poor Spanish property market]First time buyers in the UK are now officially an endangered species with the lack of mortgage finance making it extremely difficult to get on the property market, according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors.
Read full article: [UK government and lenders urged to help first time buyers as they become 'an endangered species']Property sellers in New Zealand have accepted that the market is well of its peak and are dropping prices accordingly as the first national average fall for years is recorded.
Read full article: [Official figures show first national drop in Kiwi house prices for years]As the main financial regulator in the UK is warning that the impact of the credit crunch could be worse than expected it has also been revealed that there has been a sharp increase in the number of properties being offered for sale at auction.
Read full article: [Increase in property auction sales show where repossessions are on the increase]Foreign mortgage lenders are stepping into the breach in the UK and now providing more buy-to-let finance than ever before.
Read full article: [Foreign lenders offering finance for large buy-to-let projects in UK]Russian banks need to tighten their risk management to avoid the credit crunch in which global banks have so far declared more than $160 billion in mortgage related losses, finance experts are warning.
Read full article: [Russian banks exposing themselves to credit crunch risk]A million properties in the US could be lost to foreclosure if the current trend continues to the end of the year, it is claimed.
Read full article: [A million facing foreclosure in the US - even celebrities]The amount of mortgage finance in Egypt is expected to double in the next year as it catches up with the country's booming property market.
Read full article: [Egyptian mortgage market catching up with booming property market]Mortgage providers in the UK are coming under pressure to change as the lack of choice currently available for property buyers is seen as one reason contributing to the slowdown in the market.
Read full article: [Less choice from UK mortgage providers ought to be addressed]Property prices in Canada are showing signs of cooling after a long run of rapid increases, according to financial experts.
Read full article: [Property prices slowing in Canada but crash unlikely]Coastal cities in Brazil offer the highest returns for property investors according to a new guide to buying in the country.
Read full article: [New property buying guide gives good and bad side of investing in Brazil]Property investors in the UK are still buying and able to get mortgages despite the lending institutions offering fewer products.
Read full article: [Buy to let property investors keeping the UK mortgage market going]Property prices in France are remaining stable due to a more prudent approach to lending, it is claimed.
Read full article: [Prudent lending helping French property market ride out the credit crunch]Property investors in France who have bought new property are finding it difficult to achieve rental incomes promised by developers and estate agents in some areas.
Read full article: [New property in France failing to live up to expectations]The property market in Egypt is set to ride out the credit crunch because prices are so cheap, one expert has claimed. This has prompted a rash of interest from developers.
Read full article: [Cheap prices help make Egypt popular as more developers move in]Increased mortgage payments do not necessarily 'protect' owners of second homes from paying UK tax on income generated by rent, it is claimed.
Read full article: [UK taxman probing rental generated income under new crackdown]Buying property abroad is still considered a good financial investment despite the global credit crunch, it is claimed.
Read full article: [Buying abroad in traditional destinations 'popular' way to escape credit crunch]The Spanish government has rejected calls to use public funds to jump start the ailing Spanish property market and bail out struggling developers and real estate agents.
Read full article: [Spanish government refuses to intervene to stimulate struggling property market]The French estate agency federation, FNAIM, predicts a stable year for property prices in France in 2008, with average rises likely to be no greater than the rate of inflation – currently around 1.6%.
Read full article: [French property market stable, reports FNAIM]UK property investors may be worried about the availability of funds as the banks and mainstream lenders continue their squeeze, but there are plenty of other sources of finance, according to an independent finance broker.
Read full article: [Banks and mainstream lenders not only source of property funds]Property investors with rental accommodation in Lanzarote will be cheered by new figures that show Brits are heading to the Spanish island in record numbers.
Read full article: [Record numbers head to Lanzarote to rent property]A steep entrenchment in American house prices, despite sharp interest rate cuts, is still expected according to financial analysts.
Read full article: [No bright light for US property price improvement, banks say]The number of people renting property in the UK has risen by 5% since last October mainly because first time buyers can't get mortgages.
Read full article: [First time buyers forced to rent by lack of mortgage products, research shows]Overseas property investors in the UK are re-mortgaging in droves to take advantage of lower interest rates on the Continent, according to an overseas finance specialist.
Read full article: [Cash strapped UK investors seek Euro mortgages]The Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) is warning landlords not to get carried away by the steep rise in the demand for private rental accommodation resulting from the downturn in the housing market.
Read full article: [Landlords urged to be cautious as rental demand soars]The property market in Scotland appears to be bucking the downward trend despite the credit crunch and the mortgage shortage, housing experts say.
Read full article: [Good news for property market in Scotland]Buy to let mortgages are a thing of the past in the UK market according to the latest rumblings from the banks, but investing in property and letting it out is still a secure move according to experts.
Read full article: [Buy to let still a viable investment in the UK]The housing market in the UK is deteriorating faster than expected with the decline accelerating in the last three weeks, according to the country's largest house builder.
Read full article: [Housing market decline is accelerating, UK's largest house builder claims]The residential property market in Sydney, Australia, is expected to remain in the doldrums for another two years, according to a survey of industry professionals.
Read full article: [Property industry professionals in Australia remain gloomy]America's leading economist Alan Greenspan has given a gloomy prediction for Spain's already ailing property market.
Read full article: [Greenspan believes Spain has 'bigger' real estate bubble than US]France is attracting increased levels of interest from UK-based property investors according to experts. The country's popularity is helped by no serious impact from the credit crunch currently beleaguering the US, faster Eurostar rail services from London and new low cost airline routes this summer.
Read full article: [France is still a favourite for British property investors]The Bush Administration allows Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to take on more mortgages.
Read full article: [Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae move to jump start mortgages in US]In New Zealand, property at the high end is selling well.
Read full article: [Property at the high end is selling well in New Zealand]Interest rates in Australia are likely to remain high for another year and homeowners will suffer as a result. Plus, the reverse mortgage industry takes hit.
Read full article: [Australia rates to stay high for another year]According to latest numbers out, many Australians will not have paid off their homes by the age of 60.
Read full article: [Many Australians retire prior to paying off mortgage]According to the latest reports, more years of work are necessary to help children get into struggling property market.
Read full article: [Australian property affordability dips]China's recent slow down may have frightened off short term investors, but those looking at the future realise this market still has much to offer.
Read full article: [Interest in chinese property market continues]The Chancellor in the UK has announced specific measures that will put a kick start into the mortgage and money markets sectors.
Read full article: [UK chancellor looks to kick start mortgages]Reports show that Australia's home loan approvals are up more than was expected by economists.
Read full article: [Property loan approvals increase in Australia]While some of the country's most sought after seminars and investment courses are going out of business, the buy to let market feels the belt tighten on investing opportunities.
Read full article: [Property millionaire makers no more]
London is emerging as the key centre for Islamic finance outside of the Middle East as financial institutions clamber to become part of a growing market. Currently it is estimated that Islamic banking manages funds of $200 billion. It is predicted to increase by up to 15% a year and be worth a trillion dollars by 2010.
North Africa's smallest nation, Tunisia, may be mightily overshadowed by near neighbours Morocco and Egypt in the current property press.
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